Connect: I will say, “In order to deepen our thinking about The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Song of the Trees and Mason Dixon Memory we are going to have a discussion with your classmates.

Teach: I will say, “In order to show a deeper understanding of the text, I am going to practice the skill discussing the text with my classmates and the strategy using high level questions. The process I will use is as follows:

1) Read over the questions I have been asking of the text

2) Pick my top three questions

3) Revise any if needed

4) Come prepared with questions and the texts to the seminar

I want the seminar to be truly student led and don’t want to give them any questions right off the bat. I will say to them, “I want you to pick the best questions you have asked of your text in order to bring them to the discussion. I want you to think through your level of questioning and concentrate on bringing level 3 and level 4 questions of the text. I want at least two of questions to be about comparing the themes or authors crafts of all three texts.”

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Active Engagement: I will say, “Read over your questions and turn and tell your partner one idea you have so far. I will check for understanding listening to every level of learner (at least 3 students-one who is at standard, one is approaching standard, and one who is above standard).

Closing of Active Engagement: Remember, great readers show a deeper understanding of the text, by practicing the skill of discussing the text by using the strategy of asking high level questions. They read questions they have been asking of the text, pick their top three question, revise any if needed and come prepared with questions and the text in order to have a successful discussion.

Seminar: I will project on the screen the two teams. I will decide who will be on the teams based on the most vocal people in the class (I don’t want them all on one team!). I will decide who will be in the inner and outer circle first based on who was in the inner circle first last time. Since this is my students first time at it, I am going to randomly pick the inner circle first.

As the students in the inner circle are discussing, I will fill out the first question and comments for the outer circle so that they have an example. Then they will be told they have to complete the rest on their own. I will also take notes of the student's participation using the Points Sheet.xlsx.

I am only chiming into the discussion if I feel it is going off track or will have questions about theme and author’s craft ready if students are not getting there on their own. Possible questions are: How did________craft their theme? How does this compare with how_________crafted their theme? Do you agree with ____________ being the theme of ___________? How does that compare with the theme of ____________?

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I believe that the end of the lesson should be an assessment of the days’ learning; therefore it should be independent work. I always end class with an “exit ticket” in which students write down the response to a question.